Nintendo released the Wii U, and its sales are circling the drain. You can bet Nintendo is already planning to be just a software company.
Sony and Microsoft have announced their next-gen systems. They're almost identical mid-range PCs. They use essentially standard PC hardware, including unimpressive x86 processors from AMD with built-in graphics. In the past, game consoles had used custom hardware with custom chips designed to be directly programmed, giving new consoles a graphics edge over PCs at release date. Not anymore.
BTW, even Apple years ago give up on designing computer hardware and moved their Macs to PC hardware. The PC may be dying, but it's more popular than ever.
The consoles themselves have expanded their focus from games to being general living room entertainment systems. Game consoles have become media-centric PCs. And, it's just a matter of time before people stop thinking of them as game consoles. Their makers already have moved beyond thinking of them as game consoles.
Sony and Microsoft have announced their next-gen systems. They're almost identical mid-range PCs. They use essentially standard PC hardware, including unimpressive x86 processors from AMD with built-in graphics. In the past, game consoles had used custom hardware with custom chips designed to be directly programmed, giving new consoles a graphics edge over PCs at release date. Not anymore.
BTW, even Apple years ago give up on designing computer hardware and moved their Macs to PC hardware. The PC may be dying, but it's more popular than ever.
The consoles themselves have expanded their focus from games to being general living room entertainment systems. Game consoles have become media-centric PCs. And, it's just a matter of time before people stop thinking of them as game consoles. Their makers already have moved beyond thinking of them as game consoles.
